#my talents lie in the musical and literary departments

[liquidatorbruntfca]

nothing makes me wish i could draw more than star trek

i want to draw them all so bad

[welshdragonrawr]

For the “let’s get personal asks”.... all of them?? Please?? I’ll do anything 🙈 ~🍑

Anythiiiiing? That’s a mighty offer. I’ll try to keep these short and simple cuz there’s so many and poor moots will end up suffering a long post on their dash. But if anyone wants a long-winded elaboration on anything, feel free to ask.

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most? This Is Me Trying by Taylor Swift, Landslide by Stevie Nicks, In the End by Linkin Park, Perfect Places by Lorde, Funeral by Phoebe Bridgers, Wasteland Baby by Hozier

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? Sarah Paulson

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.However. Kits is glowering at me. I’m only too aware that...

4: What do you think about most? Life

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say? Your latest [redacted] phone bill is ready. Check it out in your [redacted] account

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on? With 

7: What’s your strangest talent? Writing? It’s my only talent

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence) Girls are incredible. Boys are alright.

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you? Yes

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar? About a month ago

11: Do you have any strange phobias? So many, not sure if they’re full-blown phobias tho

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose? No

13: What’s your religion? What’s the name for respecting aspects of a lot but not following one specifically?

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? Walking?

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? Behind

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band? Fleetwood Mac

17: What was the last lie you told? I haven’t got you anything yet

18: Do you believe in karma? Yes

19: What does your URL mean? I used to live in Wales and I’m too stubborn/attached to change it

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength? Insecurity/Loyalty

21: Who is your celebrity crush? Sarah Paulson

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping? No

23: How do you vent your anger? Writing

24: Do you have a collection of anything? Books

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online? Neither Phone I think

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become? Yes and No

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love? Metal scratching glass/Sarah Paulson’s voice

28: What’s your biggest “what if”? What if I had never gotten seriously ill when I did

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens? Yes and Yes

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm. Phone/Blanket

31: Smell the air. What do you smell? Jacket potatoes cooking

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to? [Redacted] Hospital

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast? East?

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender? Hozier?

35: To you, what is the meaning of life? To make the most of the miraculous fact we’re here at all 

36: Define Art. Truth, Beauty, Horror and History 

37: Do you believe in luck? Yes

38: What’s the weather like right now? Grey and overcast

39: What time is it? 1pm

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed? No, so no

41: What was the last book you read? Thin Air by Michelle Paver

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline? No

43: Do you have any nicknames? So many

44: What was the last film you saw? The Princess Diaries

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had? Just cuts and bruises so far luckily

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly? Yes

47: Do you have any obsessions right now? Sarah Paulson

48: What’s your sexual orientation? Lesbian

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you? Yes

50: Do you believe in magic? Sometimes

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong? Sometimes

52: What is your astrological sign? Scorpio

53: Do you save money or spend it? Save

54: What’s the last thing you purchased? Car accessories for a xmas present

55: Love or lust? Love

56: In a relationship? ‘It’s complicated’

57: How many relationships have you had? 3 I think?

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue? Yes

59: Where were you yesterday? At home

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? Flowers

61: Are you wearing socks right now? No

62: What’s your favourite animal? Otter

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you? Kindness

64: Where is your best friend? Too far away

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr. @serawalkerwrites, @sisterxwinters, @grilledcheeseandguavajelly, @thefandomlesbian, @awildgothappeared

66: What is your heritage? Not much

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM? Reading in bed

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name? Why don’t you ask him?

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off? Yes

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend? Yes

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do? Help the dog

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid? a) certain people b) visit my loved ones c) yes

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love. 

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it? Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number? [Redacted]

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship? Communication, Kindness and Care

77: How can I win your heart? Be Kind

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity? Sometimes

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far? Deciding to message the ones who’ve become my closest friends

80: What size shoes do you wear? 5 (european size)

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone? Don’t really know, probably something literary

82: What is your favourite word? Fernweh

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart. Loved ones

84: What is a saying you say a lot? Keep on keeping on

85: What’s the last song you listened to? This Is Me Trying by Taylor Swift

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours? Purple/Red/Blue

87: What is your current desktop picture? Drunk Princess Leia (cover art from Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher)

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be? He who shall not be named

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on? What are you truly afraid of?

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do? Go back to sleep probably

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power? Telekinesis?

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again? Some time with my Aunt

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? Onset of chronic illness

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be? Florence Welch

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? Florida for reasons

96: Do you have any relatives in jail? No

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car? Yes

98: Ever been on a plane? Yes

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say? Be kind to one another. This world is a shitshow right now. Choose to be a good plot twist in it.

That was long, so congrats to anyone who actually sat through/read all that.

[teasungg]

skz as art school students

note: this is pretty much a high school au. since I just graduated and I had the random thought of “stray kids at my weird ass art school” so if you’d like full stories about art school!skz request it in my inbox thank u ily

bang chan

everyone knows chan as the art school king.

he is such a versatile artist so he wanted to try out all of the art forms the school offers.

he’s tried many classes in different departments and of course he excelled in all of them. 

the teachers love him because he’s so good at what he does and he always has a positive attitude when it comes to the different art forms.

he played guitar and piano for band, sang in vocal, studied modern dance, acted in theatre, and so much more.

this guy was good at everything and everyone either looked up to him or was jealous of him.

out of all the art forms he could have focused in, he chose recording arts.

he liked how he could incorporate his love for writing and music so that he can produce his own songs.

he self produces all of his own songs, writes his own lyrics, sometimes sings/raps himself, and even collaborates with underclassmen changbin and jisung.

overall just an extremely talented artist and can succeed in any art form he chooses.

woojin

dear lord woojin is a king within the vocal program.

right when he started the art school he joined the vocal program without any prior experience and everyone was blown away.

he was gifted with an amazing singing voice that had to be shared with the whole world.

his solos are so good that the audience always comes to the next shows just to hear him sing.

although woojin is an amazing vocalist, he is very humble and very kind towards his other classmates

people expect him to be front and center all the time, but he actually wants the other students to get their time in the spotlight.

since he is known for his singing abilities, the recording arts students always try to get him to be a part of their songs or recording pieces.

one time he was a part of the school’s musical even though he didn’t have any background in acting, but almost every show was sold old because of him.

he’s even collaborated with band to perform live jazz songs which people also love.

he just loves to sing and be an artist and wants to continue performing on stage.

minho

minho dedicates so much of his time and energy into the dance department.

he’s been in the dance department for the longest and has participated in almost every show at school. 

most of his free time was in the dance studio but occasionally he would be hanging out with his friends.

his actual personality vs his stage presence is so different it even makes the teachers confused. 

outside of school he also studies dance at different studios which means even more shows that he has to participate in.

he has performed in hundreds of “nutcracker’s” and he’s getting pretty tired of it.

not only is he a great dancer, but he is also a great choreographer.

he has choreographed performances for himself, his class, and the students who are taking the beginner classes.

everyone loves seeing him in the dance studio as he comes up with new choreography and also its kinda hot not gonna lie.

changbin

when first coming to the art school he wasn’t sure what he wanted to focus in so he tried everything.

eventually he chose recording arts since he was able to incorporate some of his interests and allowed him more creative freedom.

he enjoys producing his own music, making beats for others, writing lyrics, and more.

he would get help from the other art form teachers when it came to writing or music composition because he just wants to get better.

aside from chan, changbin is the student who is in the recording studio the longest.

before, during, and after school he is in the recording studio coming up with new songs and beats.

he also has experience as a dj so he's the one the school pays to play at all of the school dances.

one year the school had someone else dj a school dance and almost the entire student body wanted changbin back because he actually has good taste in music.

changbin knows what people want to listen to, but he also isn't afraid of experimenting with new sounds.

hyunjin

a part of the dance program with minho.

he is incredibly talented as a dancer and everyone knows him.

people just like to watch him perform because not only is he good looking but his stage presence is captivating.

hyunjin has participated in many dance shows throughout the year and enjoys every one of them.

like other upper level dancers, he also takes classes outside of school so that he gets the practice he needs.

which is why he is usually busy.

he helps out the visual artists and photo students as a model because look at him he is literally ethereal but also  he likes to help his fellow classmates.

he also enjoys being a part of vocal, but unfortunately he couldn’t fit it in his schedule.

he continues to do singing and likes to write his own lyrics that he shares with his recording arts friends.

an amazing choreographer who makes dance pieces for his solos and teaches some of his choreographies to the lower level classes.

jisung

originally jisung started out in the literary arts program.

jisung wasn’t much of a multi-chapter or long story writer, but likes writing short stories and song lyrics.

sometimes in his writing class, he would perform the songs he self composed and people loved it!!

people usually asked why he wasn’t focusing in music and he says that he just wants to improve on his song writing abilities.

that was when his friend, changbin, suggested recording arts.

once he joined recording arts, he dedicated so much of his time in it.

during school hours, he is found in the recording arts studio with changbin and chan where they would all come up with new beats and making songs together.

he really enjoyed producing music and is one of the youngest students within the recording arts department.

he also hands out physical copies of the albums he has made and will casually promote his soundcloud to other students.

felix

felix is a part of the dance department, but also got convinced to join vocal and recording arts.

his friends begged him to be a part of vocal because he was the only person that could hit all of the low notes so he joined for just a year.

then he was dragged into recording arts.

he wasn’t an official student of the class, but he was seen in the studio a lot with his group of friends who called themselves 3racha.

he was a vocalist and rapper for some of their songs and he was GOOD.

no matter what he is a dedicated and very talented dancer.

he practices a lot in the school’s dance studio in the mornings and local studios in the afternoons.

he likes performing with minho and hyunjin because they also make their own choreography and just likes dancing with his friends.

occasionally he sneaks in meme dances in the actual choreography and it pisses off the teacher.

although watching him perform his solos during dance shows is actually breathtaking.

seungmin

many people thought he would be a part of the vocal program, but he is actually in the photo department.

he doesn’t talk much about his photography, but everyone loves his art!

when there’s gallery shows, his photos are some of the main pieces that are showed.

seungmin always carries his camera around just in case he sees something that catches his eye.

he carries it to all of his classes, to school, to work, and while hanging out with his friends.

his laptop is almost out of storage because of all the photo files he has.

he always begs his friends to be models for his photoshoots or help with lighting or props or other things.

no one can really say no it him so everyone agrees to help him out.

other students even PAY him to take their photos whether it be for senior photos, prom, weddings, etc.

he’s won a lot of photography contests and had his art featured in photography/art magazines.

jeongin

jeongin is a dedicated music student.

he is mainly a vocal kid, but also plays piano for some of the band classes.

other students love his style of singing and also the fact that he has the ability in singing trot.

he has this bright personality that makes the class light up and always tries to keep an uplifting environment.

he’s in the upper level vocal class, but he’s also the youngest.

since he is the youngest, he gets lots of help from the older students whether he asks for it or not.

pretty much either you love jeongin or you haven't met him yet.

he hasn’t done much self composing but would like to work on it later in his school career.

one year the school added music theory as a course option he decided to join it.

he actually liked learning about music theory and later some of his friends joined the class with him.

[graziadiocenterilpostino]

Faculty Spotlight: Adrià Martín Mor

Adrià Martín Mor joins the RGRLL department as a professor of Translation Studies. He comes to Cal State Long Beach from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where he earned his PhD before continuing on to conduct research in the fields of linguistics and translation. His interests include the development of specialized machine translation software, particularly for the Sardinian language. The Graziadio Center conducted an interview to learn more in-depth about this project and his research, and also learned about some of his other talents as a singer, guitar player, and songwriter.

What first drew you to the field of Translation Studies?

I come from a multilingual context in southern Europe (Barcelona, in the Catalan Countries), where the autochthonous languages (Catalan, Occitan, Catalan Sign Language) lie in a state of  minoritization to various extents. Being attracted by the situations of language contact, I learned by experience that translation can contribute to raising the social profile of minoritized, marginalized and endangered languages. This is how I became interested in the political dimension of languages, for instance, concepts such as language justice, language desertification, and language ecology. Translation can contribute to a more diverse and culturally rich planet!

Can you tell us a little bit about the work you’ve done as a translator or interpreter? What are some of the most interesting or challenging jobs that you’ve had and how did your University training prepare you for that work? 

I was trained in translation at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where I completed my PhD in translation studies in 2011. I also complemented my education with research stays in leading centers in Limerick (Ireland) and Forlì (Italy), where I learned about localization and corpus linguistics applied to translation. In Europe, Translation faculties have proliferated for the last 20 years or so, and many universities offer training in translation studies. As for my professional career, I started translating technical and literary texts for private companies. For several years, I also taught translation technology in universities in Barcelona (Catalonia) and Casteddu (Cagliari, Sardinia). But among my most challenging and gratifying works are those that I have carried out as a volunteer or for political motivations: the translation into Catalan of the Istanbul Protocol of the United Nations —a handbook for doctors to identify cases of torture—; the founding of Sardware —an association of volunteer translators and activists who translate software into Sardinian—, or the consecutive interpretation I carried out between Catalan and Sardinian for the Catalan president in exile, Mr. Carles Puigdemont.

What would you like to share about your research? Can you tell us a little bit about a project that you are currently working on?

At present, we are working on the creation of machine translation systems for the Sardinian language: being an endangered language with just some hundreds of thousands of speakers, it is challenging to work with it, since it still lacks consensus about its orthographic model. Luckily, our work in the last few years will ease up the collection of thousands of English sentences together with their Sardinian translations, which is what present-day machine translation systems need to train engines.

What are you most looking forward to regarding teaching the students at CSULB? 

I am very excited at the idea of introducing my prospective students to the world of translation, its political dimension and the technologies that will help them produce better texts, all with a focus on ethical issues. I am aware of the high quality of this university and of the multilingualism of many of its members; therefore, I also look forward to learning from them what their experience has been so far in the field of translation.

What is a fun fact you would like to share?

I have also "translated" my interest for translation and endangered languages into cultural products and dissemination activities: I recently presented a TV program, Beni cun me ('come with me', in Sardinian; trailer here) for the Italian public TV broadcast, RAI, about the languages of Sardinia. We had a great time recording it: a cameraman (Mauro) would follow me while I toured the island with my van and my guitar, meeting speakers of the various endangered languages of the island. Both of us being musicians, we eventually became friends, and started writing the original soundtrack of the program. It then came out in late 2020 as my new CD Lo somrís de la magrana (Catalan for 'the smile of the pomegranate', in reference to a Sardinian saying), and we have since then been playing in concerts both in Sardinia and in Catalonia. My music is licensed with Creative Commons for ethical reasons, and therefore it can be downloaded from my website, www.adriamusic.cat.